Toast to the Past
by GenuineAmy
Summary: postRENT: The four surviving Bohemians meet and relive a very special night thirty years ago.


**Disclaimer: **I own not a notion…I rent. Though Rent may be starting to own me.

Mark Cohen stands on the corner of the street by the Life Café. It has been thirty years since he has last sat in one of the worn chairs, surrounded by his friends. Thirty years since he has danced on the tables, cheering and toasting to everything and everyone Bohemian. He had lived and survived the Bohemian life and now he revisits his past. _I was twenty-four years old. I'm fifty-four now. I had no cares in the world then. I have a wife and three daughters. I had no career. I have an Academy Award. God, how time changes everything. _Mark's thoughtful expression softens. _I had an amazing group of friends. Now there are only four of us left. Four Bohemians. But I guess we're not so Bohemian anymore, are we? I'm an award-winning documentary film maker, Benny has a successful real estate developing firm, Joanne is senior partner in a huge downtown firm and Maureen is singing her heart out on stage in London's West End. God, how time has changed everything._

"Mark?" Mark turns his head to look at the still-stunning brunette standing in front of him. For all his effort, Mark Cohen will always love Maureen Johnson. Until the day he leaves this earth. He can't explain it, but she took a chunk of his heart that he can't seem to fill or find.

"Hey Mo." They hug. She smiles and kisses his cheek.

"God, it's so good to see you. Seeing you and talking to you on the phone are two completely different things. I've missed you." She seems reluctant to let go of him.

"I've missed you too. Like being back in New York?" Mark doesn't mind her embrace. He likes this sentimental reunion. It helps him realize how much these people have been a part of his life. Ever since they went their separate ways, life has seemed less bright.

"Can you believe it, but yes! I'm in a hotel! I can afford a hotel! New York City is so much better when you have the money to enjoy it."

"I hear that."

"Oh my God! I forgot to congratulate you. Another Academy Award nomination! I'm so proud of you. You're still living in Long Island?"

"Yeah, with Audrey and the girls. Though my eldest is at school right now. Elizabeth is at NYU for philosophy and Madison is about to graduate from high school. Trisha just went into junior high."

"I can't believe that! I mean, the last time I saw Trisha she was in diapers!"

"They grow up really fast. Too fast in my opinion. Audrey is expecting Liz to call any day now and tell us that she's engaged. But if I know my little girl, she's going to wait until she's done with her degree to settle down."

"I'd love to see them." Maureen pulls her coat tighter around her body. The cold December wind gusts, sending her hair flying.

"You should drop by while you're still in town. I'm sure they'd love to see their Auntie Mo." Both Mark and Maureen share a laugh. Maureen nods her assent.

"Hopefully not laughing at my expense are you?" A deep voice comes from behind Mark and he jumps, startled.

"No, Benny. But go away, give us five minutes and come back. I'm sure in all the years we've known you, we can think of something to laugh at you about."

"Shut up Cohen. Hey, Maureen." He pulls her into a great bear hug. She hugs him back just as tightly.

"Benjamin Coffin the Third. It's surprisingly good to see you."

"Yeah, since he isn't here asking for rent." Mark says sarcastically. After Collins' death Benny and the remaining Bohemians had made their peace. Even Roger, who had staked a personal vendetta against their ex-roommate for years. Roger had finally succumbed to his disease and passed away the following December but not before making long-overdue amends.

"For old time's sake, I could always ask. Except you don't really worry about money much, now do you?" Benny wraps his arms around Mark, "Damn, Mark. After all these years you could at least put on some weight. Doesn't that wife of yours feed you?"

"Very well actually. What can I say? I'm skinny. Collins always did say I looked like an albino-pumpkin-headed-scarecrow." At this Mark, Benny and Maureen all laugh.

"I remember when he said that." The three friends turn quickly to see the final member of their group. Joanne Jefferson hasn't changed much. She looks more relaxed than Mark has seen her in months. Out of all the friends, Joanne is the one person Mark sees often. They have coffee uptown once a week; that is whenever Joanne doesn't have a big case or whenever Mark is in town long enough. He flies back and forth from New York to Los Angeles to promote and work on his films.

"Hi Joanne." Maureen timidly waves. Joanne just smiles and pulls her into a tight embrace. After their relationship had finally broken apart, Maureen got back into acting and made a splash in various West End productions. Her current role of Elphaba in the West End's Wicked production was the biggest role she'd had to date. Joanne had, three years ago, entered into a civil union with her partner Jill and they had a bouncing year and half old boy. Time had changed both women and it appeared that all the awkward tension that existed between them had melted.

"Well, I'm freezing my ass off out here. Why do you say we go inside?" Mark opens the door and Joanne, Maureen and Benny file inside. As Mark steps over the threshold, the scent of coffee rouses memories deep inside him. How many days had he sipped his tea, unable to pay, unfortunately, and had been kicked out by the owner? How many dinners had he shared with his friends here?

"How many?" The waiter at the entrance asks the group. Mark remembers the night after Maureen's last big protest, Christmas Eve 1986, when their entire group had come and almost been refused. That had been quite an evening. Though Mark is Jewish, it was the best Christmas he had ever had. He met Mimi and Angel that day. He watched his two best friends fall head over heels in love. Mark had never felt more alive that night.

After they are seated and the cute little blonde Bohemian waitress has taken their orders, Mark raises his glass of wine. Joanne follows, and Maureen and Benny mimic the gesture with their mugs of beer.

"To days of inspiration. To playing hookie. To making something out of nothing. To the need to express, to communicate. To going against the grain. Going insane. Going mad."

"To the stage" Maureen adds.

"To emotion and devotion. To causing a commotion." Benny grins.

"To Sontag. To Sondheim. To Uta." Joanne smiles widely at her friends.

"To Buddha. Pablo Neruda too." Maureen clinks glasses with Benny. She nearly spits her beer out as Mark climbs onto the table top.

"To Angel, To Mimi, To Collins and To Roger. Four of the greatest Bohemians to ever live." He smiles down at his friends.

"To Joanne. To Maureen and mostly to Mark Cohen. In the dictionary under Bohemian, there should be a picture of you, man." Benny climbs up on the table and puts his arm around Mark's shoulders.

"To Benny. Even though he never really liked the lifestyle, he did live it once." Maureen stands next to Benny and extends a hand to Joanne who joins the group.

"To faggots, lezzies, dykes, cross-dressers too." Joanne puts her arm around Maureen's shoulder.

"To me."

"To me."

"To you."

"To you."

As they raise their glasses again, keeping eye contact with each other, the four Bohemians-at-heart and good friends mutter at the same time, "Viva _la vie boheme_."

After they are politely asked to sit down and have eaten their dinner, the time to part ways arrives. Maureen promises to drop by the Cohen house for dinner and to see her favorite girls, Benny exchanges cell phone numbers with Maureen and then promises to call more often and Joanne kisses everyone on the cheek and runs off to her office; a break in an ongoing case. As Mark walks to his car, he is struck by a sudden realization. It had felt like old times, because it _was _just like old times. Even though Roger, Mimi, Collins and Angel weren't there with them in body, they had been there in spirit. Talking about them and sharing memories had made it seem like there were sitting in the Life Café right next to them. _We need to get together more often. I miss them. All of them. They may be gone, but when we're together we keep them alive. We need to be together more often. _And with memories drifting through his brain, Mark Cohen-Academy Award winner, father of three and devoted husband-feels the creative itch for a new documentary. He just needs to go home and find his old films from the BoHo days.

**Hope you enjoyed! It's a sentimental piece that could follow "Because I Knew You". Thanks for reading and Viva La Vie Boheme!**


End file.
